Results by "Raymond Luczak" in All categories

Lake Superior is more than a body of water--it's a force of nature, a keeper of memories, and an enduring source of inspiration. In Feet in the Waves, thirty-six poets from across the Lake Superior region and beyond explore the lake's many moods: its icy grandeur, hidden dangers, quiet beauty, rich history, and deep emotional resonances. From rocky shorelines and agate-strewn beaches to shipwreck legends, all interwoven with moments of spiritual reflection, these poems capture the unique relationship between people and the largest freshwater lake on Earth.

Sometimes the best way to learn about a unique region is to listen to the stories told by those who've actually lived there. You learn things that no guidebook would ever tell you. You meet unforgettable characters who've strayed far off the beaten path. And you see clearly again how the power of memory is so strong that they can still recall incidents decades later. Michigan's Upper Peninsula has always been filled with remarkable sensations and indelible stories.

For many of those who've lived there, the Upper Peninsula of Michigan can seem like a magical place because nature there feels so potent and, at times, full of mystery. After having grown up there, Raymond Luczak can certainly attest to its mythical powers. In Chlorophyll, he reimagines Lake Superior and its environs as well as his houseplants as a variety of imaginary and historical characters. 

In Ironhood, the acclaimed poet Raymond Luczak recalls the neighbors and shopkeepers he once knew while growing up in Ironwood, Michigan during the 1970s and 1980s. They included a scruffy man who smoked cheap cigars while tending to his fragrant backyard garden, a cat-eyed woman who stood watch over a sea of typewriters, a bald jeweler whose dexterous fingers repaired a watch's minuscule innards, and tired cashiers in red smocks who dreamed at the western edge of town.